My mask is still soaking wet from the 35 minutes I spent on the elliptical. It makes breathing much harder because the wet material sticks to your nose and mouth as you try to inhale. I won't say it's akin to self-waterboarding, but this is definitely unpleasant. Today I don't see anyone wearing their mask under their nose which is good. I'd like the gym to stay open without incident. A good way to shut the facility is to flagrantly disregard all safety protocols. If you get sick, public health and local government will shut the gym down in spite of it being your own damn fault.
One of the things I dislike even more than breathing through a sweat-soaked mask is that my nose runs whenever I get sweaty. Or eat hot foods and beverages, spicey or just steamy like tea. I always pack a few tissues in my hoodie pocket because my nose is guaranteed to run when I exercise. Wearing a mask makes this more complicated. And the last thing I want is nasal discharge on the inside of my already wet mask. So now there are two reasons to remove my mask while working out: sipping water and blowing my nose. But the benefits of cardio are too great to let annoyances like this stop me.
Exercise-induced rhinitis is not a term I've heard before but apparently, it's common enough to be the subject of several online articles. Unfortunately, many view this condition as an allergic reaction because the runny nose is often accompanied by sneezing and watery eyes. But not me. The only sneezing allergic reaction I get is due to the pilocarpine drops I have to administer thrice daily to my eyes. (Those drops sting like a squirt of grapefruit juice, and they're often used as an anti-dilation drop in ophthalmology. Dilated pupils can increase internal eye pressure for some people. I'm one of them. But I digress.) Most exercise-induced rhinitis is attributed to running outdoors, as pollen, car exhaust, and other nasal irritants are to blame.
In my case, it's my rising body temperature, constricting blood vessels, and an outpouring of adrenaline. This is also categorized as vasomotor-rhinitis. However, I'm not looking for treatments or abatement of symptoms because the cure is worse than the ailment. If the exercise-induced rhinitis were unbearable, I'd have to resort to antihistamines or other medications, and I'm not about to do that. I can deal with a runny nose. I just need to remember to carry a lot of tissues.
Even though I've blown my nose several times, once I start climbing the StepMill, it starts all over again. I blot my face with my hoodie. It's impossible to inhale the drip back up the nostrils because the face mask sucks itself against my nose as I inhale. I've seen the newest comfort gadget for masks and that would solve this problem, except that I know it would be supremely uncomfortable against my face. It's a plastic frame cage that keeps the mask fabric off the skin. Hard edges cut into my delicate skin. Even this loose elastic mask leaves an impression line against my cheeks.
After I shower and change, I realize that my nose, sinuses, and even my lungs feel really clean and clear, as if exertion has expelled all the sticky sliminess out of my system. It's refreshing. I've missed that!
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